


Taking Chances

by cherryjwoos



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: College AU, Doyoung's been crushing on Jungwoo for years but doesn't know how to tell him, Jungwoo and Doyoung are best friends, M/M, and its not, but Doyoung still gets a kiss from Jungwoo so that's all that matters right?, so he decides that playing Spin the Bottle is the perfect way to break the ice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29485854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryjwoos/pseuds/cherryjwoos
Summary: Doyoung and Jungwoo end up in the middle of a game of Spin the Bottle.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Kim Jungwoo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Taking Chances

This wasn’t the first time Doyoung played Spin the Bottle, but it was the first time he was using a party game to help confess his feelings to his crush.

He liked Jungwoo for a while now, ever since they first met during freshman orientation a few years ago. And if Doyoung knew his crush was going to get this big, he would’ve just told Jungwoo about it sooner. It would’ve been easier back then. Now he could barely look at the younger one without butterflies erupting in his tummy and his cheeks flushing bright red. He was hopeless, even his friends would agree.

_“You’ve got it bad,”_ He remembered Johnny saying when he found out, _“you really like this kid.”_

He did, he liked Jungwoo so much that it hurt. He liked Jungwoo so much that nearly a year had gone by since he decided he would tell him about it. A year spent overthinking, second guessing, and ultimately chickening out. Doyoung wasn’t going to be able to do this on his own, that had become abundantly clear.

He needed a push.

_“...but why Spin the Bottle?” Taeyong asked, “don’t you think that’s a little random? Like, what if it never lands on you two?”_

_Doyoung fell silent for a moment, he hadn’t thought about that._

_“We’ll just have to keep playing until it does….”_

_Taeyong laughed, “you’re gonna be jealous if it lands on Jungwoo and anyone else, trust me, I think you need a plan B.”_

_He should’ve listened to his friend, Taeyong did have more relationship experience than him, after all. But Doyoung was stuck, this seemed like the only way._

_“It has to be natural, though. I don’t want Jungwoo to know it was a set up, that’s embarrassing,” He explained._

_And Taeyong understood that, nodding in agreement, “we’ll do our best to make it all run smoothly for you guys, okay?” He reassured, giving Doyoung’s shoulder a squeeze of encouragement._

Doyoung was being pushed alright. He was being pushed in headfirst.

“Have you ever played Spin the Bottle, Jungwoo?” Yuta asked, sitting down on the rug as everyone else started to join him and form a small circle.

Jungwoo hummed and pursed his lips before eventually shaking his head, “I don’t think so,” He replied, expression shifting to a bright smile, eyes twinkling with intrigue, “but it looks like fun.”

Doyoung felt the nerves already begin flooding in. It was bad enough that Jungwoo looked so attractive in the red cardigan he was wearing that night. But now he was being all excitable too, his usual bubbly self that always left Doyoung weak at the knees.

“Well, it’s a pretty easy game,” Yuta explained, “but...we play it a little different around here.”

Doyoung’s heart sank. Different?

“Since we’re all decent human beings, we have some important rules to follow. First, we value privacy in this household, so when the bottle lands on you, the kissing happens in the bathroom.”

A weight was lifted from Doyoung’s chest, that wasn’t as bad as he was expecting. If anything, it made perfect sense. Confessing to Jungwoo with everyone around would’ve been awkward, but thankfully his friends figured that out for him.

“Second, if you don’t wanna kiss someone, nobody’s gonna force you,” Yuta continued on, placing an empty bottle in the middle of the circle to get the game started, “we don’t judge here.”

Everyone nodded along in agreement and Doyoung felt his heart rate spike again. His friends were doing a good job at keeping the situation natural for him but that didn’t eliminate his biggest fear. He still had to confess to Jungwoo by the end of the night, there still was a 50/50 chance of rejection.

From across the circle, he could see Jungwoo happily following along, eyes all wide and eager. And just as Taeyong predicted, Doyoung felt a pang of jealousy in his chest. What was Jungwoo so excited about? He inhaled deeply, trying to calm any nerves. But as Yuta took his first turn, Doyoung’s mind began to race again. Luckily, the bottle landed on Mark, and he could finally exhale.

As the two disappeared into the bathroom, they earned little ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the group, along with a bunch of laughter. Jungwoo was laughing too, but Doyoung could tell his friend was lost. Despite the big grin on his face, his head was tilted to the side, a small gesture, but something Doyoung could pick up on almost immediately now. Jungwoo always tilted his head when he was confused.

Reaching across the circle, Doyoung gave Jungwoo’s thigh a light squeeze to get his attention, always so protective of the younger one. They were hanging out with _his_ friends that night, a group that Jungwoo didn’t know all too well. And while everyone was getting along so far, Doyoung was aware of the fact that Jungwoo was a newcomer, he still could potentially feel out of the loop.

“They’re always flirting with each other,” He explained, watching as Jungwoo’s disposition changed, sitting up straight now.

“Oh my gosh, lucky them,” He giggled, peering at the placement of the bottle and then the two empty seats.

Doyoung chuckled awkwardly as he nodded in agreement. Hopefully Yuta and Mark wouldn’t be the only lucky pair that evening.

A few more minutes passed before Taeyong peered over at Johnny and rolled his eyes. They didn’t even have to exchange any words, both well aware of what the other was thinking. Donghyuck must’ve gotten the memo too, picking up an empty plastic cup and throwing it at the bathroom door.

“C'mon guys, we’re playing Spin the Bottle, not Seven Minutes in Heaven,” He scoffed, causing the circle to laugh some more.

In the midst of the laughter, shuffling around could be heard from behind the bathroom door as Mark and Yuta finally came out. Their cheeks were bright red, hair a little ruffled and messed up. Nobody said anything as they quietly got back to their spots on the rug, but Jungwoo did peer at Doyoung with a surprised expression.

As soon as their eyes met, Doyoung could feel his own face heat up.

“Did they…?” Jungwoo mouthed to him.

And all Doyoung could do was jokingly roll his eyes, knowing he’d probably faint if he had to talk about something like that with his crush.

Everyone’s attention shifted back to the bottle when Taeil picked it up, though, watching as it spun and landed on Jaehyun. There wasn’t as much of an uproar this time and the atmosphere seemed a lot more lighthearted. Taeil chuckled, holding his hand out for Jaehyun as they got up and went inside the bathroom. The two weren’t gone for long either, coming out after a moment or so, hands still linked together playfully.

Judging by the placement of the circle, Jungwoo assumed it’d be his turn next. Yuta was the one who explained the instructions and Taeil was the player who last went, but he looked to Doyoung for guidance instead.

“...do I go now?” He asked his friend, sounding a little hesitant.

Before Doyoung could even answer, everyone else seemed to chime in, nodding and eagerly urging him to go. Jungwoo chuckled awkwardly, unsure why the group seemed so excited for his turn. He figured it probably was just because he was new to their hangouts.

Despite being pushed to go, Jungwoo still found himself dragging. He peered around the room a few times, lips parted ever so slightly with curiosity. And as he reached out for the bottle, Doyoung noticed his fingers were trembling a bit. He never did like having much attention on him.

He wasn’t the only one who was nervous, though. Except, Doyoung’s worries were a little different. He didn’t mind all the nosy glances but he was afraid Jungwoo would end up slipping into the bathroom with someone else. The anxiety burned inside his chest, eyes glued to the bottle as it spun a few times and eventually settled on Johnny.

Taeyong was right, he always was. Doyoung felt jealousy wash over him. How could he not be jealous? Johnny was tall and handsome and he could get anyone he wanted. But he also was a good friend, someone who cared about the feelings of others. So, only a split second passed by before Johnny was shaking his head.

“I can’t go, you should spin again,” He announced, watching as Jungwoo’s cheeks flushed red and his glance dropped to the floor with embarrassment.

Johnny bit his lip, maybe he shouldn’t have phrased things that way. He quickly glanced over at Doyoung, who was now glaring at him.

“...if I kiss you, my boyfriend will freak out,” Johnny explained, hoping he’d sound believable.

Taeyong was the one glaring at him now, though, both a mix of confusion and annoyance.

“...huh?” Jungwoo peered up, face still red. If Johnny actually did have a boyfriend, then why was he even playing in the first place? Jungwoo didn’t even really want to kiss Johnny, but the thought of being the only person in the game to get rejected made him feel uncomfortable. 

“ _Huh_ is right,” Taeyong jumped in, “you don’t have a boyfriend.”

Johnny exhaled heavily, “not yet, but there’s someone who I _want_ to be my boyfriend. And I know how jealous he is, so I’m gonna have to sit this one out,” he narrowed his eyebrows at Taeyong and then looked back at Jungwoo with a smile.

Jungwoo forced a smile back but he still couldn’t shake that awkward feeling that was now lingering around him. It was as if the room all knew something that he didn’t, like there was a secret that he wasn’t being let in on. His mind wandered, was there something on his face? Did he look bad? Jungwoo fumbled with the bottle, hesitating to spin it. Maybe he shouldn’t have worn red, maybe he should’ve made a better effort to cover the acne that was sprinkled across his cheeks.

Finally, Jungwoo spun the bottle again, closing his eyes as he waited for it to stop.

“...oh, um. I ate so much garlic earlier, why don’t you spin it again?” He heard a voice say, opening his eyes to see Donghyuck giving him a sympathetic grin.

Doyoung sighed, regretting his plan when he saw how humiliated Jungwoo looked. The younger one couldn’t even meet anyone’s glances anymore, looking down as he nudged the bottle away from his spot.

“Maybe someone else should just go,” He chuckled, but Doyoung could hear the heaviness in his tone, the type of weight that always came right before Jungwoo would cry. And the last thing he wanted was for his best friend to cry and embarrass himself further in front of everyone.

“Here, I’ll go!” Doyoung interjected almost immediately afterwards, spinning the bottle and purposely stopping it right as it landed in front of Jungwoo. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He thought fate would be the thing to help him confess, but the protectiveness he felt over Jungwoo proved to be stronger.

Jungwoo peeked up and was swept away into the bathroom before he had a moment to even process what was going on. He was thankful for the gesture, though, needing privacy in that moment more than ever. Once the two were alone, Doyoung locked the door, leaning against the sink counter afterwards.

They were silent for a moment before Jungwoo couldn’t hold back any longer, tears spilling down his cheeks as he folded his arms over his chest and let his shoulders slump forward.

“I don’t think your f-friends like me, Doie,” He sniffled, trying to catch his breath and not get too worked up, “why is e-everyone avoiding me?”

Doyoung reached out and brought Jungwoo into his arms for a hug, holding the younger one close to his chest and stroking his hair as he cried. His friend was sensitive, something he often felt ashamed of, but Doyoung never minded. If anything, he admired the way Jungwoo couldn’t keep things inside, he wished he could be that bold himself.

“...they’re avoiding you because I asked them to, Woo,” Doyoung breathed out, and judging by how nervous he was, he was certain Jungwoo could probably feel his heartbeat racing against his body.

“You asked them to? Why?” He peered up from where he was being held in the other’s arms. He wasn’t crying anymore, only soft hiccups remaining as he relaxed in his friend’s embrace.

Doyoung exhaled shakily, “I set up this game because I thought it’d give me an excuse to kiss you and tell you that I like you,” He mumbled, “but...I’d get jealous if anyone else kissed you first, so I asked my friends to make up excuses and not let it happen.”

Jungwoo didn’t say anything, replaying what was said in his mind a few times just to make sure he heard that right.

“...you like me?” He finally spoke up.

Doyoung peered down at his feet. Now he was the embarrassed one, unable to make eye contact without feeling overwhelmed.

“Yeah, I’m just lame and I didn’t know how to tell you, so I put together a stupid game that made you cry…”

Jungwoo went quiet again, lost in thought as he tugged away from Doyoung slightly and stood up fully. After a few moments passed, he grabbed the other’s hands, bouncing a little with excitement.

“You like me,” He chirped up, face all smiley and cheerful, “you really like me.”

Doyoung laughed, nodding at Jungwoo’s cute reaction. It felt as though a weight was lifted from his chest, heartbeat finally slowing down, mind no longer racing.

“I wish I could’ve told you in a better way,” He sighed as he gave Jungwoo’s hands a light squeeze.

Jungwoo rubbed his thumbs over Doyoung’s skin, shaking his head, “don’t say that,” He chuckled, “you put together this big plan just to tell me you liked me, you must’ve been thinking about it for weeks. How could I not love that?”

Doyoung’s face went red, “...months, or well, I’ve been thinking about it for a year,” He admitted shyly.

Jungwoo pulled him closer again, wrapping his arms around his waist and bringing him in for a hug, “you know, I think I started liking you about a year ago too, but I was so afraid of losing my best friend, I never could get myself to say anything.”

Doyoung nodded in understanding, “oh I know, I felt like I was going to pass out all night because of that,” He teased, earning a concerned look from Jungwoo, “but it’s okay, it all paid off, didn’t it?”

“It did, it almost doesn’t feel real,” He laughed, “it feels like I’m dreaming or something.”

“Well, maybe I can do something to make it feel a little more real…”

Jungwoo peered up, looking at Doyoung curiously, as to be asking him what he meant by that.

“...can I kiss you, Jungwoo?” He asked softly.

The younger one’s cheeks flushed at that question, causing him to hide behind his sweater covered hands for a moment. From behind the fabric, Doyoung could see his glossy eyes peeking out, all intrigued and eager, despite how shy his body language currently was. Before he could second guess himself, Jungwoo reached out and looped his arms around Doyoung’s neck, pulling him in close enough to just barely graze his lips.

Their first kiss was soft, only lasted a few seconds, but Doyoung could feel his heart in his throat again. This time, the racing and pounding was for good reason, a physical manifestation of how excited he was. Following his friend’s lead, he rested his hands at Jungwoo’s sides, holding his small waist and leaning in for another kiss. This one was longer, deepening ever so slightly as the two lingered and savored one another’s touch.

Doyoung pulled away to catch his breath, looking up at Jungwoo and admiring him in a way that felt different than before.

“If they teased Yuta and Mark, they’re gonna have a field day with this,” He pointed out and Jungwoo just laughed. They had been in there for a while now.

“They probably just think I’m upset still,” Jungwoo took a step forward, getting closer to Doyoung, so close that their chests were pressed together, “we should stay in here longer then, make it more believable,” He whispered against Doyoung’s lips.

The older male smirked, giving a light squeeze to his friend’s side and stealing another kiss. Jungwoo was right, they were gone for a while anyways, a few extra minutes wouldn’t do any harm. Besides, it was hard for Doyoung to think about much of anything else when he was currently all tangled up with his crush. Getting a little more bold, he decided to scoop Jungwoo up, sitting him on the sink counter as they made out. The younger one welcomed the shift in their positioning, wrapping his legs around Doyoung’s waist to eagerly tug him closer.

The two were so caught in the moment that they nearly forgot they were in the middle of a game of spin the bottle, hidden away in Taeyong’s bathroom. Doyoung didn’t even care, he felt like he was in heaven as he traced his tongue over Jungwoo’s bottom lip.

With Doyoung taking control over the moment, Jungwoo’s mind had gone fuzzy, only focusing on the pretty boy in front of him. He parted his lips to give Doyoung’s tongue access to his mouth and whimpered at the sensation, not even fully realizing as the breathy whine slipped out.

“Fuck, did you hear that?” Johnny perked up with concern, nudging Taeyong’s shoulder to get his attention.

Taeyong looked at the bathroom door sympathetically, “he must be pretty shaken up if he’s still crying. Hopefully we didn’t ruin this for Doyoung.”

“Oh my god, what if Doyoung’s the one crying. Do you think Jungwoo rejected him?”

Yuta looked between Johnny and Taeyong a few times in disbelief, shaking his head, “I’m sure they’re both doing just fine,” he chuckled, taking it upon himself to get up from the rug and give a few knocks to the bathroom door, “everything alright in there?” He asked.

He knew they’d be annoyed with him for breaking up their moment, but they clearly weren’t paying attention. It was better just one person caught on to what was actually happening behind that door, rather than waiting for the whole room to figure it out.

Doyoung and Jungwoo almost immediately broke their kiss, looking at one another with worried expressions as they heard Yuta’s voice.

“Oh uh, yeah. Just...one second,” Doyoung quickly replied, helping Jungwoo off the counter.

The younger one peered in the mirror, doing his best to make sure he didn’t look too suspicious, “...can you tell that I was crying?” He asked in a whisper, reaching out to smooth out some of Doyoung’s hair.

Doyoung laughed, “I’m not sure it’s the crying we have to worry about now,” he teased.

Jungwoo rolled his eyes playfully, deciding to splash some water on his face as an extra measure anyways. His friend was right, though, everyone outside the door probably heard them and would get a good laugh because of it. Jungwoo didn’t really mind, though. It was a little embarrassing, yes. But at least he knew Doyoung’s friends didn’t hate him, like he had been worrying about earlier that evening.

“You gonna be okay when we go back out there?” Doyoung asked, rubbing the small of Jungwoo’s back as he watched him pat his face dry.

Jungwoo nodded, “mhm,” he decided pretty easily, hugging onto the older one’s side and unlocking the bathroom door.

When the two finally exited the bathroom, everyone in the living room peered up, a mix of emotions and reactions. But for the most part, the group just seemed concerned. As Jungwoo expected, having all eyes on him did trigger some embarrassment, but he just leaned in closer to Doyoung’s embrace, feeling safer having him by his side.

“...are you guys okay?” Taeyong asked, breaking the silence.

Johnny motioned for them to come join everyone, most of them having moved to the sofa.

“I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable,” He added, “hopefully you still want to hang around with us.”

Jungwoo quickly shook his head, “no, no...I just got a little overwhelmed, you guys have nothing to apologize over,” he reassured, “I had a lot of fun tonight, I’d love to come over next time too.”

As they sat down, Doyoung and Jungwoo looked at one another in confusion. Did they really manage to get away with that and not be caught?

“Congratulations, by the way,” Yuta smirked, playfully nudging Doyoung’s side.

Maybe they spoke too soon.

“...congratulations?” Johnny knitted his eyebrows, looking around as if the answer would be somewhere in the room.

And then he saw it, the way Doyoung’s face was flush, Jungwoo’s hair a little frizzy.

“Oh my god, how did we miss that?” He looked to Yuta who was now laughing and shaking his head.

The laughter slowly died down and Jungwoo buried his face into Doyoung’s neck while he waited for all the chatter to fade away. Once the room was on the same page, aware of their friends’ changes in relationship status, Taeyong grinned at the new couple.

“I’m glad everything worked out for you two,” He nodded happily, giving Jungwoo’s shoulder a squeeze of encouragement, “and next time, we’ll play a real game, okay?”

Jungwoo finally looked back up and chuckled, “you’ve got a plan.”

Not only did he gain a boyfriend that night, but it also felt like he gained seven new friends as well.

**Author's Note:**

> apparently I love writing about party games and first kisses, like this is a running theme here !!
> 
> but, anyways, i hope you enjoyed jungwoo and doyoung being all awkward and in love :) and thank you for taking the time to read because it really does mean a lot <3


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